1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tamper-resistant vending machine. More specifically, the invention relates to a coin-operated vending machine in which the coin changer and cash box are moved from their conventional positions and the coin inlet chute is reconfigured to render the vending machine tamper-resistant.
2. Related Art
Vending machines and other coin-operated devices employ coin acceptor and coin acceptor/pay-out devices, such as coin changers for the convenience of users who do not have exact change. These coin acceptor and coin acceptor/pay-out devices employ electronic coin validators and other electronic mechanisms which are susceptible to a form of tampering known as "salting," that is, pouring a salt water solution into the device in order to short out its circuitry and cause either "jackpotting," that is, the dispensing of all the coins in the coin acceptor, or a free vend.
Also, the coin changers are conventionally located in the main door on the side opposite the hinges, with the cash box positioned underneath to receive coins discharged by the coin changer. Vandals will pry the bottom of the main door of vending machines and steal the cash box, and then squirt a salt water solution in through the coin insert slot to cause jackpotting or set up a free vend.
Devices to prevent tampering with coin-operated machines and their coin acceptors are numerous. U.S. Pat. No. 829,265 to Goeb, U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,561 to Rosapepe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,937 to Parish et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,213 to Spring, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,644 to Rockola et al., are illustrative, and are discussed at length in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,521, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,521 addresses the problem of "salting" by providing a protective jacket for the coin changer, the jacket being made from an elastic material and conforming substantially to the configuration of the coin changer.
However, none of these devices addresses the problem of theft of the coin box. Typically, this problem is addressed by providing some type of vault for the coin box.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,903 to McDonald discloses an enlarged coin box for a product dispenser that utilizes all of the available space in the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,889 to Adams et al. disclose a money box and vault including a housing with a hollow chamber for receiving a lockable coin box. The coin box has inner and outer relatively rotatable cylindrical housings with coin receiving openings formed therein. The money box and vault are for use in the collection and transportation of money from coin operated machines such as vending machines, and are not adapted to use in vending machines themselves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,938 to Brown discloses a coin box for a vending machine mounted inside a building wall to protect it from vandalism and burglary. Because it is designed for use behind a building wall, it is not adapted for use in free-standing vending machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,700 to Heraty discloses a hollow post vault for a coin box. The coin box is placed inside the post vault through a bottom port and locked in place above the port by a releasable support member locked inside the post. The post vault is free-standing. Although such a freestanding arrangement is suitable for use with a coin mechanism operating an appliance such as a vacuum machine at an automotive service station, it is unsuitable for use in vending machines.
Although the patents to McDonald, Adams et al., Brown, and Heraty provide some security against vandalism to the cash box, they are not necessarily adapted for use in vending machines, and provide no solution to the problem of "salting." In fact, the prior art treats the problems of "salting" and cash box theft separately, and does not provide any mechanism which addresses both problems simultaneously.
It is the solution to these and other problems to which the present invention is directed.